Work Cost
To calculate the total project cost you need to specify the cost of separate project items (human and material resources). Then, basing on the data and amount of time (necessary to complete each task) the needed calculations are done. The cost of any part of the project and any resource(s) can be calculated.
For successful project completion we need to define expenses as precisely as possible. ConceptDraw Project allows to control expenses on any task and any resource, which will help to define the project cost with maximum accuracy.
- Resource cost
- Baseline and Real task costs
- Currency display settings
Resource cost
Cost of resources is specified in floating dialog Resource which is located by default on the right part of screen. The denoted information will be assigned to the resource right after you quit the dialog by clicking with mouse on any place of the document out of the dialog.
In details about operating floating dialogs read here.
Cost of human resource is specified per 1 working day, material resource – per a unit (for instance, an item or a weight unit). In the string Cost resource cost is specified per a unit (selected with the help of the arrows or entered manually).
Task: Specify the resource cost:
- Organizer – $50 / a day
- Administrator – $50 / a day
- Accountant – $45 / a day
- Foods – $0.20
- Tents – $70
- Equipment – $5
Besides, the cost can be specified in the document itself, in the resource list mode. For this you need to:
- Select the needed cell.
- Activate edit mode (double-click on the cell).
- Enter the needed value with the help of the arrows on the right or manually.
Task: Enter the following data into the document:
- Assistant 1 – $40 / day
- Assistant 2 – $40 / day
- Transport – $10
Baseline and Real task costs
Cost of task is specified in floating dialog General, in section Costs or on the tab which duplicates it , i.e tab General in dialog Task Information.
Baseline
Basic cost of the task is specified in filed Baseline.
Task: Specify the expected cost of the task "Buy food" $120.
Real cost
The real cost is calculated basing on the cost of the resources involved. It is displayed in field Total.
The cost is calculated following way:
For human resources the cost of the employee’s work per one unit (day, for example) is multiplied by the number of units, at that, the occupancy degree in other projects is considered.
For instance, if a doer is occupied with the given task 2 working hours a day out of 8, then at his cost $40.00 per day for completion of the task he is given $10.00 (8/2 = 40.00/10.00).
For material resources, the cost of 1 unit is multiplied by the number of units, used for completing the given task. For instance, the cost of 1 trip by the transport is $10.00. For the task "Buy food" we need 2 trips: to go for food on the first and on the second day. On assigning a resource to a task in floating dialog Assign Resourсes in filed Units (or on the tab Resourсes of dialog Task Information which duplicates the floating dialog) the number of resource units is specified. In our example we have 2 units. Basing on this data the program will derive real cost of the task.
Task: Specify in floating dialog Assign Resourсes (or on the tab Resourсes of dialog Task Information which duplicates the floating dialog) the following information: for the task "Buy food" and in the field Units; for resources Assistant 1 and Assistant 2 specify the occupancy degree 20%, for resource Transportation – the number of trips 2, Foods – 300 units.
In floating dialog or on the tab General see the real cost. On the program’s calculations it makes $128.
Currency settings
In the program currency symbol setting can be done for the whole document: currency symbol, location of figures, denoting cost – before the defining symbol or after it and the number of decimal digits.
All these settings can be done in dialog Preferences on tab General. To call this dialog aplly command Preferences in menu File. The dialog Preferences with the open tab General will open.
In this dialog the following parameters are set:
- Currency Symbol – currency type
- Currency Position – currency symbol location: before or after the figures
- Decimal Digits- the number of decimal digits
The other parameters are not connected with the currency settings.
Closing the dialog, do not forget to press OK, to save the changes.
Task: Call dialog Preferences, tab General and set currency format in accordance with your national currency.
Resume: So, in this Lesson we have learned how to edit chart, work with calendar, assign milestones and deadlines, define the degree of task completion, task cost and work with resources. Now, let’s move to the next Lesson, where we will learn about different ways of converting and sharing of our document.
| 
